I’m in. The Lakes Enduro was so good last year that I couldn’t pass this up.

I’ve knacked my hand though, so I’m guessing 50:50 whether I can race or not 🙁

I preemptively demoted myself to the Ride With Mates category based on this, but as far as I can tell, my mates have put themselves in for the Championship! 😆

Absolutely, not as if there’s nothing else to ride in the Valley.

Check out the thin alu ones from Carbon Cycles. Cheap, thin and mine are lasting well. Tempted to get some for spares and for the Mrs TBH.

He’s been caught. Is he likely to offend again? Would sending him to jail be helpful in correcting his behaviour?

I thought killing someone on a bike these days got you a slap on the wrist because a driving ban would cause hardship and going to jail might make you lose your job?

A custodial sentence seems to be a victory for the rest of the population TBH.

No, that’s the TV shelf.

<insert gif of Charles Kane applauding>

Thornie could do with is just one damn trail on the west side that goes to the bottom without falling off a cliff

Only if you count an average gradient of over 25% a cliff… 😆 😮

Also re closures, No.1 Cafe had a little map up showing closures. They’re riders too, so pop in for a flat white and ask. Don’t just go in for trail guidance, that’s crass – they do a good coffee and lunch.

What’s the line about the student and the master?

The Master has fallen more times than the Student has even tried?

Honestly, who shouts ‘rider’

Someone using an e-bike to grab KOMs?

😆

I am actually really liking their kit at the moment, tires are good, carbon rims are good, alloy rims are good, saddles are good. What is not to like?

I think the question that is really being asked now is, where did they go?

Always the photographer and never the subject too.

However here’s me a the Mrs riding in India with MTB Kerala (nb not in Kerala)

The two schools of through seem to be:

1. Pack it as if Northwind is going to throw it out of an upstairs window, leaving no room for damage.

2. Pack it in as little as possible, leaving the airport and airline with no option but to treat it gently.

Option 1 could be split in to

1a. Spacious/Hard bike bag – like an Evoc or a hard shell bike box. Downsides are weight and expense.
1.b Minimal/lightweight bag and loads of padding. Downsides are more time spent disassembling the bike to pack it and you’ll need to obtain spacer for crush protection.

Hopefully this works and hopefully won’t get me banned

(FWIW team A for me)

I think Stoner summed it up for many of us a few years back, far more eloquently than I ever could. I’ll paraphrase badly but the take away line was that “it’s an ancient grudge match” and that it would be going ahead just the same if no one was watching.

I’m embarrassed at every single strapping big fellas who wants to study BA Land Management, but there was a bulk of real students doing real degrees. Medicine, Engineering and Classics.

Yep, hate it a but strong a term but I used the term “hating on” because I reckoned it would rile people up nicely. “het up” being more appropriate was used in the body of the text.

I’m not at all insinuating some dichotomy of love or ignore. More confused, amused and bewildered that some folk seem to put so much energy in to being annoyed at stuff that really doesn’t count for anything at the end of the day. Is their life so devoid of love and joy that being a dick grumpy head really gives it purpose?

“hating on”?
I hate that.

“hating on”??!!
My hate has a new focus…

So you just got played… 😆

Thanks for the input everyone. BD – the Bombtrack Arise looks superb and styled like a simplification of a lugged frame 🙂

The Fairlight Faran looks like a lovely package as well but I’d need to run a tensioner. Boo.

I’ll admit – I hadn’t looked at CTBM’s shop yet as he swindled me out of some stickers a few years ago #stickergate

Actually, I was just seeking opinions before I went looking to actually buy. £450 for the F&F is very attractive, but that colour is equally repulsive.

The custom rack doesn’t put me off, but I haven’t checked the price of that yet….

Yep, I dropped a few photos Sam’s way to show him how it went. Figured as a designer/engineer he ought to be interested!

Choose the right frame/bike first*. Can always exchange brakes.

True up to a point. If you want to upgrade from cable disc to hydro discs, that’s new calipers and STIs, so £££!

To add another one in to the mix, a workmate got something very nice from Oro bikes.

Watch the audio slideshow on Vital MTB. Sven has a good chat with him. He expands on getting fed up of travelling to the same places and riding the same tracks for the last 9 years. Now he’s not doing the WC thing he can ride every. other. track. in the world!

I’d already discounted the Surly straggler as it’s only got basic dropouts, so the Tripster and Sutra end up in that pile too 🙂

Picky? Maybe. 😆

Good shout on the Salsa. The Vaya looks ok

But the Marrakesh has adjustable dropouts

slowste – yep, the crack has started at the tip of the lug and is what is putting me off repairing it – it’ll only fail again in the same place (eventually). There’s no external butting and I haven’t determined what butting is going on inside the tube.

Stronger riders than you.

That was JRA. I was creaking badly on Monday so I went and tightened everything up a touch. Cranks, wheel, the rack was actually a bit loose. Tuesday morning was fine but mostly downhill. Tuesday evening it was creaking again and it all felt a bit wobbly…

The cracks clearly have been there a while (the initiation site looks rusty) but the majority of the crack is clean so had expanded quite rapidly….

(FWIW the bike is stored under cover at work and at home)

Personally I prefer nature to be natural

I have:

a conscience
an IQ over 90
love for our children
a snooty attitude

so no we don’t

MY back yard is concrete. It doesn’t see much sun and is the way in and out of the house when with bikes. Please tell me o wise and condescending ones, how do I make it more natural and grassy?

They might fit but if they’re too flexible for you then you’ll end up with sore feet after a while no matter what.

What shoes do you have?

I’m an unfortunate subscriber to the OS maps app/service and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Tracey – Am I imagining that on the results sheet I saw that Abigale won the Juniors?

(just checked and yes) – nearly 3 minutes in front of 2nd place and a time that would have got her 6th in Seniors. Very well done!

Yep, tall wardrobe in a Sharan with all the seats out.

Just really, how much weight is there to be saved by reducing the number of spokes from 32 to 28 or even 24?

32 holes should be easier to get for hub/rim spares and will be that bit more tolerant when you break a spoke half way round the HT550 🙂

35 mm wide rims are gnarly trail and nearly + size territory.

I’d make my own tubes, or more likely, make a foam structure incorporating the lugs then wrap the whole lot in fibre.

The folks I know who’ve made CF frames have done it this way. (ref. Richie Goldsbury, Rob Metz).

As a student project (post grad masters but without the Masters) I built a rapidly deployable frame constructed using the same principle – I had some fancy hinges joined using CF tubes.

The good thing for me (and you) is that the ID of the tube is well controlled as that’s what is wrapped on the mandrel.

Anyway, good luck and keep us informed with progress. I’m sure I’ll fancy doing something similar in a few years!

What Jamie says. The Thread pitch of a M8 coarse (normal) thread is 1.25 mm, near the same as 20 tpi. you need to drill the old threads out with a new tapping drill (6.8 mm) then tap the threads in.

I’d guess it’s thanks to autocorrect on tablet & mobile devices. What used to be correct is getting autocorrected to something similar but used more foten. What used to be a typo that you could figure out is now being autocorrected to a real word that makes no sense!

That and illiterate people being allowed on the interwebz. When I’m King…

Looks… ok form that angle?

Does it work any differently with the clutch moved to the off position?

It should work, though I’m not familiar with the close ratio version that Yak mentions. Can you find out, maybe see if you can find the part/model number?

/edit – the wide ratio zee is what you’d want.
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/Shimano-Zee-Rear-Mech-tested-2013.html

Thanks for the heads up vinnyeh, I’ll check their dates.

We’re in Jura (renting a house) 10-17 June then free after than til the 24th. I imagine we mght check out Metabief when we’re staying in Jura.

Of course late spring snow might encourage us to stay low down anyway.

Crankworx Les Gets – June 14-18
Les Gets open from 10 June http://en.lesgets.com/i-want/mtb/hours.html
Morzine staged opening from 11/13/14/15/24 June https://www.morznet.com/lifts/summer-dates

also some info in this thread
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/morzine-les-gets-lift-opening-dates-summer-17
in particular Stoner’s spreadsheet on 2016 opening dates for PdS
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rGgLbCyvJvqQO86TKGZkiYHVf3cVG58CVldwoO5HPFY/edit

I’d have thought (though I have no actual experience of them) that the Goat Link only moves the derailleur mounting point, it doesn’t help much with respect to chain length.

The One Up RAD Cage nearly achieves what you’re after – it moves the top jockey wheel downwards when the cage is extended forward, so means the distance from the jockey wheel to the cassette is better throughout the range.

Really though, I’m surprised you’re having problems with this at all. A friend is managing a short cage zee on a 11-42t cassette, which suggests something isn’t right on yours…

Have you tried adjusting the B-screw to get a small amount of clearance in the biggest sprocket?

Can you send any photos from the side to show the mech angle and position? I’m thinking of the Productions Privee (Shan?) that had an incorrect shaped dropout leaving the mech at a funny angle.

Just be aware of the logging activities in Golfie ❗

Given the sheer amount of riding available in the valley you shouldn’t struggle to find some quiet trails.

What’s wrong with 5 mm clearance? Put a bit of heli tape on the seat tube to protect it and be happy with your 4.5 mm of clearance 🙂